Algorithmic Entertainment
What a cool definition of games:
Like every other games researcher, I’ve had to come up with some useful definition, or at least a general notion, of what a game is. Unlike many others, I’ve dispensed with a lot of the obvious stuff to get to what I find to be most essential.
In my definition, gone are victory conditions or even explicit goals. I’ve discarded conflict and competition and, perhaps most surprising, even interaction.
I’ve boiled and sifted, reduced and sorted until I came up with a definition that I think works:
Games are algorithmic entertainment.
I think I need new business cards - "Steve Lacey - Algorithmic Entertainer"
Read more over on buzzcut.com.
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Steve Lacey, software developer at Google, British, married to the lurvely Nabila, dad to the wonderful Julian and Jasmine. Living in Kirkland (near Seattle), WA.
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About this Entry
This page contains a single entry by Steve published on October 7, 2005 1:31 AM.
A Higher Power was the previous entry in this blog.
Dropping in random dlls is the next entry in this blog.
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Yo,hello, hi, etc.
I thought it was stunning when I bought my first Digital Music Products, Inc. CD of a group called Flim & the BB's (excellent, highly dynamic modern jazzy instrumentals originally assembled to test 3M's radical new "all digital" recording process some time in the late '70's or very early '80')who, to me at least, exemplify hip; and they published under the "Music as Software" name. It got me to thinking the same thing; entertainment has begun to come down to who can create the best algorithms! I wondered if maybe I ought to have become a mathematician rather than a musician! Paul
I beleived that same definition was used (maybe by the same author?) in "Difficult Questions About Videogames", which if you haven't read it, is a great read. It's also FREE (you pay for shipping). Go here:
http://www.publicbeta.org/dqav/
(oops, just checked that link and looks like it's no longer available? Anyhow, if you can't find it, I have a copy I can loan you).